Apparatus for treating floors



Dec. 19, 1961 R. 1. LAPPIN 3,013,288

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APPARATUS FOR TREATING FLOORS Filed June 24, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent ()fifiee 3,913,288 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 3,013,288 APPARATUS FOR TREATING FLOORS Robert I. Lappin, Marhlehead, Mass. Signal Manufactoring Co., 69 Bennett St., Lynn, Mass.) Filed done 24-, 1958, $87.. No. 744,128 9 Claims. (Cl. 15--5tl) This invention relates to apparatus for operating on floors and especially to power driven implements for treating uncovered and covered floors.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus which may be pushed and pulled over a iioor or floor covering easily and without tendency to tip forwardly or rearwardly, thereby to eliminate uneven action and hence imperfect cleaning or polishing, to provide an apparatus in which the cleaning and/ or polishing compounds can be distributed more uniformly and economically, to provide an apparatus in which the cleaning or polishing compound can be replenished quickly and easily without danger of spilling, to provide an apparatus in which the means for controlling the distribution of the compound and the switch for initiating operation of the means for driving the implements are located closely enough to be easily operated without shifting the hand from one position to another, and to provide an apparatus in which certain of the implements may be removed for cleaning and storing in an out-of-the-way position when not required for use. Other objects are to provide an apparatus which is of attractive appearance, which is provided with means for concealing the lower part or" the handle and its connections throughout at least 90 of its arcuate movement, and which is provided with means for holding the handle in an upright stable position when not being used.

As herein illustrated, the apparatus comprises means mounting a pair of brushes, side by side, with their periphcries in substantial tangential contact and a motor for driving the brushes in opposite directions. A cover is fitted on the mounting means, so as to enclose the brushes and motor, and has in its rear part an opening through which extend arms connecting a bracket externally of the housing to the mounting means for movement about pivots situated rearwardly of the center line of the axes of the brushes. A handle is fastened to the bracket forwardly of its pivot and of the center line of the axes of the brushes. A mantle carried by the bracket extends forwardly and downwardly over the front part of the cover and is concentric therewith, so that as the handle is tilted rearwardly it covers the opening. The handle, by reason of being mounted forwardly of the center of tilting of the bracket, tends to stand upright and its forward movement is limited and held in this position by a pair of yieldable spring clips on the mounting means with which the arms can be engaged by pushing the handle into an upright position. The bracket affords a support for a removable receptacle of cleaning or polishing compound and has a portion interengageable with the bottom of the receptacle to hold the bottom in registration therewith. There is means for holding the upper end of the receptacle in place, herein shown as a collar, pivoted to the handle above the bracket for engagement over the upper end of the receptacle to hold it against the handle. The receptacle, as illustrated, has a transverse width comparable to the width of the handle but may have a greater transverse width if desired. At the bottom of the receptacle there is a normally closed valve constituted by an internally tapered valve passage and a spring-loaded ball closure. A valve rod extends upwardly from the ball and is automatically engageable with a pull rod mounted on the handle with its upper end accessible at the upper end of the handle to permit raising the ball closure. A motor switch is mounted on the handle, adjacent the upper end of the pull rod, so that the two may be reached without moving the hand from one place to another. A flexible tube extends downwardly from the bracket to the mounting in a position behind the brushes for conducting the liquid from the receptacle directly to the floor and there is a squeegee behind the lower end of the conductor which operates to take up the liquid from the floor and by its internal action redistributing the liquid as an even film across the entire length of its contact with the floor.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section to somewhat larger scale taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the receptacle for the cleaning or polishing compound;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the receptacle;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the applicator brushes and squeegee when viewed from below, showing the housing in dot and dash lines;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line '77 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an elevation partly in section at the rear side of the apparatus. showing the squeegee mounted in its inoperative position;

FIG. 9 is an elevation of the squeegee removed from the apparatus showing one-half folded over the other to squeeze out used liquid;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section to larger scale of the midpart of the handle and the means for connecting the receptacle thereto;

FIG. 11 is an elevation as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a section of the upper end of the handle; and

FIG. 13 is an elevation as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 12.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus is of the type having a pair of elements for operating on a floor or rug, herein shown as brushes 10-10, supported side by side on a mount 12 (FIG. 3), for rota tion in opposite directions. A motor M is mounted on the support for effecting rotation of the applicators. A cover 14 is fitted over the mounting means 12, so as to conceal the latter and the motor, leaving only the lower portions of the brushes exposed. The upper part of the housing has rising converging side walls 16 (FIG. 7), which are circularly curved in front to back section (FIG. 3), andhas at its apex an opening 18 which extends from the top, rearwardly through approximately the rear quarter. A pair of angle brackets 20*20 (FIG. 7 are fastened to the mount 12 at opposite sides of the motor within the housing, which have upwardly extending legs carrying'bearing studs 22-22, upon which the lower ends of a pair of upwardly extending arms 2424 are journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis. The brackets are located rearwardly of the plane of the axes of the brushes so that the axes of the bearing studs are spaced rearwardly from and parallel to the axes of the brushes. A spring clip 26 is fastened to the upper leg of each of the brackets 2tl2tl for engagement with the lower portions of the arms 24-24 when in their upright position to assist in holding them in this position. The arms 24-24 are bent toward each other so as to follow the converging walls of the housing through the opening 18 and have fastened to their upper extremities, externally of the housing, a bracket casting 28 which has centrally thereof a tapering opening 30 (FIGS. 3 and 7), below which there is a cylindrical opening 32. Peripherally of the bracket there is a narrow ledge for receiving the lower edge of a receptacle 34 which has an upwardly recessed bottom 36. The receptacle has in its bottom a central opening 38 (FIG. 3), surrounded by a threaded boss 39, on which is screwed a cap 40 having a tapering nozzle 42, adapted to be engaged with the tapering opening 30 in the bracket when the receptacle is placed on the bracket. The lower edge of the receptacle, by inter-engagement with the ledge on the bracket, guides the nozzle into place and holds the bottom of the receptacle in registration with the bracket, so that there is no danger of it becoming displaced at this end even though the handle is carelessly allowed to drop. The upper end of the receptacle is held in place by a collar 44 (FIGS. 1, and ll), which is pivotally fastened to spaced ears 46-46, which in turn are fastened to a handle 48, the lower end of which is secured to the bracket 28 by screw bolts Sip-50, forwardly of the center line of the axes of the brushes. The receptacle 34 is a plastic bottle, transversely quite narrow, being comparable in width to the handle, and is mounted so that its forward edge lies along the rear side of the handle. As thus disposed the weight of the receptacle and liquid is carried at the lowermost portion of the handle, as close as possible to the center line about which the bracket turns. The receptacle has an open top bounded by spaced parallel, inwardly directed flanges 5151 (FIG. 10), for slidably receiving a cover 52, which has at its opposite edges grooves 54-54 for engagement with the flanges. At the bottom of the receptacle there is a valve 56 (N6. 3), located in the nozzle 3.2, which normally is held closed by a spring 58. A stem 69, attached at its lower end to the valve, extends upwardly therefrom through the receptacle and through an opening 62 in the upper part thereof, adjacent the handle. The stem 60 has on its upper end, exteriorly of the receptacle, a knob 64 which is adapted to be engaged within the forked lower end 66 of a slide 63, mounted within the handle, so as to be slidable along the handle.

Since the knob 64 cannot slip through the opening 62 the cap 40 can be unscrewed to expose the valve 56 for cleaning without danger of the valve or its operating spring becoming detached and lost.

The slide 63 is supported internally of the handle at its lower end on a sleeve 7! which extends through the handle from a plate 72, at the forward side thereof, the sleeve being internally threaded for reception of a screw 74 for mounting a flat plate 76 on the rear side of the handle. Additional screws 78 and 8t) are also provided for fastening the plates 72 and 76 to the handle. The plate '76 provides a flat bearing for the forward edge of the receptacle and has an opening through it, through which the lower end of the slide extends for engagement with the knob 64. The slide extends upwardly along the handle and near the upper end is fastened by screws 82 to a trigger 84, which is vertically slidable in a slot 86 in the handle. Normally the trigger 84 rests on a shoulder 38 provided by a book 90, which is fastened to the handle by a screw 92. By raising the trigger 84 the valve at the bottom of the receptacle may be opened to permit the content of the receptacle to escape. Above the trigger 84, on the handle and within reach, without moving the hand, there is a switch button 94 for closing a switch 96 mounted in the handle to start the motor M. The switch button 94 is located at the front side of the handle so that when normally grasping the handle the index finger is in a position to press the button 94 while the fourth and little fingers are in a position to engage the trigger 84.

The hook 9% (FIG. 12), which is upwardly facing, provides one'half of a reel for the electric cord, the other half being provided by a downwardly facing hook 95 (FIG. 10), fastened to the handle by a screw 97, the latter abutting the upper end of the plate 76.

A support 98 is fastened by screws 99 to the mount, rearwardly of the brushes, which has a horizontal wall (PEG. 3), containing substantially midway between its opposite ends an opening 100 surrounded at its upper side by a split sleeve 102, and at its lower side by a boss its surface.

101. A flexible conductor 104 is fastened at its lower end within the sleeve 102, for example, by placing a split spring ring 106 about the sleeve so as to compress it against the conductor. The upper end of the conductor is press-fitted into the opening 32 in the bracket 23. The conductor provides means for passage of the content of the receptacle to a place midway between the centers of the brushes and spaced rearwardly therefrom, so that the fluid is deposited on the floor directly behind the brushes, as shown in FIG. 6, ahead of a transversely mounted sponge, mounted rearwardly thereof, as will subsequently be described.

By depositing the liquid at the rear side of the brushes or applicators in the natural cleft made by the conjunction of the two brush or applicator arcs, the liquid is spread by the sponge or brushes regardless of the direction of movement. Feeding the liquid directly to the floor moreover makes it possible to control the quantity of flow quickly since there will be no time delay between the act of releasing the trigger and visual evidence that fluid has been delivered to the floor. The squeegee operates continually to take up liquid from the floor and by its internal action redistribute it in an even film across its entire length in contact with the floor. This is accomplished by virtue of its multicellular, sponge-like homogeneous construction.

The support 98 also has spaced parallel, downwardly extending flanges HTS-Hi8 (FIG. 3), which form an open channel parallel to the line of centers of the brushes behind the dispensing opening 100. A bar 110 having symmetrically located, oppositely extending, spaced parallel flanges 112112, is adapted to be frictionally engaged with the flanges 108108 of the channel and to be reversibly held therein by engagement of one end, as shown in FIG. 7, with a hook 114 on the support and at its opposite end by a spring latch 116, also on the support. A sponge rubber squeegee 118 is supported between the flanges 112--112 at one side of the bar 110, so as to have contact with the floor directly behind the brushes (FIGS. 3 and 7). By reversing the position of the bar 110 the squeegee may be disposed within the channel between the flanges 108108, as shown in FIG. 8, when it is not being used. The squeegee is fastened to hinged plates 120 and 122 (FIGS. 7 and 9), the former being fastened to the bar 112 by screws 113, and the latter being held in place when the squeegee is in its operative position by engagement of the latch 116 therewith, as shown in FIG. 7. As thus constructed, the squeegee may be removed for washing by removing the bar 110 from the channel. After removing the squeegee the plate 122 may be folded double on the plate 120, as shown in FIG. 9, to squeeze out the wash water so as to leave it dry.

Important advantages are obtained from mounting the sponge in the aforesaid manner and in the aforesaid relation to the brushes. Thus, since the sponge is needed only for the purpose of spreading wax and detergents and is not needed during polishing and buffing, it may be stored in a position out of contact with the floor which protects the sponge itself from undue wear, adding to its life and prevents smearing of the floor during polishing. As constructed, the sponge holding bar is stored high enough so that there is no danger of accidental contact with the floor.

The provision for folding of the sponge halves to squeeze out the left-over wax and water following washing is particularly advantageous because it permits cleaning to be accomplished without soiling the hands and provides a mechanical advantage for applying a considerable amount of pressure to the sponge which could not be satisfactorily obtained by pressing the fingers against Moreover, because of the ease of cleaning there is less likelihood that the operator will neglect to do so after each use.

Since the supporting flanges 112-412 are disposed perpendicularly their lateral sides take up the principal forces imparted to the sponge by back and forth movement. Hence, the spring latch 116 can be made very light and easy to operate since it is not required to bear the load and therefore it is easy to remove the sponge for cleaning. Moreover, for convenience, it is desirable to have the sponge bar removable in the same direction as the pads or brushes.

By disposing of the sponge at the back side of the rotating brushes the content of the receptacle can be fed downwardly between the brushes by means of the shortest length of conductor, and the sponge itself can be concealed in the housing with only a minor change in the shape of the machine at the rear part and without making any change in its conventional shape at the forepart. This is advantageous in that by keeping the brushes close to the forward part of the housing it is easier to maneuver and the brushes will pick up the detergent, wax or other solution and spread it laterally to their entire width without necessitating the use of a sponge, that is, as long from end to end as the brush span from side to side.

As previously pointed out, the lower end of the handle is pivoted on an axis which lies between the line of centers of the brushes and the center line of the squeegee and consequently there is an upward component of force when the machine is pulled rearwardly which unloads the squeegee during rearward movement. This is especially important because it helps to prevent overturn of the apparatus when the squeegee has a tendency to stick to the floor especially during waxing operations. If the handle were on the brush center line, the machine would always rock forwardly and backwardly on this brush center line position and the squeegee would tend to lift up from the floor on the forward stroke and to be pushed down on the rearward stroke. When the handle center line is between the brush line and the squeegee line, good pressure control is maintained on the squeegee during the forward stroke, and the squeegee is partially unloaded during the rearward stroke. A compression of about Vs" or A" of the total thickness of the sponge, which is about is all that takes place and this suifices to give good sponge action and yet to permit the sponge to slide easily over the floor surface without noticeable drag. The pivot about which the handle rocks being between the longitudinal axis of the sponge and the axes of the brushes, the downward component of the handle when pushed forwardly is divided about equally between the sponge and brushes so that a good sponge action is also obtained in the forward stroke. A further advantage accrues by virtue of this handle pivot in that when the handle is pulled upwardly the weight is at the fore part of the machine thus making it easier to tip the machine forwardly for the purpose of exposing the underside for easy removal of the brushes and sponge.

A dolly may be fitted to the underside of the apparatus by first removing the squeegee for supporting the brush spaced above the floor a predetermined amount, for example, when the apparatus is to be used for cleaning rugs.

In order to make the device attractive the casting 28 which, as previously pointed out, tilts rearwardly as the handle is tilted rearwardly, is provided with a forwardly and downwardly extending mantle 124. The lower part of the mantle is concentric with the curvature of the housing so that as the handle is tilted rearwardly the mantle moves with it so as to cover the opening 18.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes, a motor on the support for effecting rotation of the applicators, said support having front and rear sides relative to the line of said axes, a handle, and means mounting the lower end of the handle on the support forwardly of said axes for tilting of the handle from a substantially perpendicular position rearwardly about an axis situated at the rear of said axes.

2. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes, a motor mounted on the upper side of the support for effecting rotation of the applicators, said support having front and rear sides relative to the plane of the axes, a handle, a bracket mounted above the support on legs, the lower ends of which are pivotally mounted on the support rearwardly of said axes, a handle rigidly fixed at its lower end to the bracket forwardly of said axes, a pair of spring fingers on the support adjacent the lower ends of the legs at their forward sides yieldably engageable to hold the bracket and hence the handle upright, a housing having a dome-shaped portion concentric with the axes of the pivots covering the motor below the bracket and containing a narrow opening disposed at right angles to said axes through which the bracket legs extend, said opening extending rearwardly to permit angular movement of the handle rearwardly, and a cowling on the bracket extending rearwardly from the handle about the legs so as to conceal the same and having spaced parallel, downwardly extending walls, the lower edges of which coincide with the edges of the opening and are concentric with the surface of the dome, said cowling moving rearwardly with the handle as the latter is tilted rearwardly to cover the forward end of the opening.

3. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted side by side at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with adjacent portions of their peripheries tangent, a motor on the support for eifecting rotation of the applicators in opposite directions, said support having front and rear sides relative to the plane of the axes, a handle, means mounting the lower end of the handle on the support forwardly of said axes for tilting movement rearwardly, a squeegee mounted on the support rearwardly of said axes and dispensing means mounted on the support between the applicators and squeegee on the line of tangency of the applicators for supplying fluid to the rear sides of the applicators, said applicators being rotated in directions such that their sides are moving away from each other adjacent the dispensing means.

4. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted on the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with portions of their peripheries tangent, a motor on the support for effecting rotation of the applicators in opposite directions, said support having front and rear sides relative to the plane of said axes, a handle, means mounting the lower end of the handle on the support forwardly of said axes for tilting of the handle from a substantially perpendicular position rearwardly about an axis at the rear side of said axes, a squeegee, means removably supporting the squeegee on the support rearwardly of the applicators, and a device situated between the applicators and the squeegee on the line of tangency between the applicators for dispensing liquid directly to the floor therebetween.

5. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with their peripheries tangent, a motor on the support for effecting rotation of the applicators, a bracket pivotally mounted on the support for angular movement at right angles to the plane of the axes of the applicators, a handle fixed to the bracket and movable therewith, a container for liquid, said container. having an upwardly recessed bottom and said bracket having a part shaped to fit upwardly into the recess, and a collar pivotally mounted on the handle above the bracket releasably engageable over the upper end of the container to hold the container in place.

6. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with their peripheries tangent, a motor on the support for effecting rotation of the applicators, a bracket pivotally mounted on the support for angular movement at right angles to the plane of the axes of the applicators, a handle fixed to the bracket and movable therewith, a container for liquid having a bottom opening, a valve normally closing said opening, said valve having a stem, means at the bottom of the container interengageable with means on the bracket to hold the container in place, a collar pivotally mounted on the handle engage-able over the upper end of the container to hold the container in place, and means on the handle for opening the valve, said means having an end operably engageable with the valve stem when the container is mounted on the bracket.

7. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a sup port, a pair of applicators mounted on the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with their peripheries tangent, a bracket pivotally mounted on the support for angular movement at right angles to the plane 01": the axes of the applicators, a handle fixed to the bracket and movable therewith, a squeeg e mounted on the sup port in a plane spaced from and parallel to the axes of the applicators, a flexible conduit connected at one end to the bracket and at the other end to the support so as to conduct liquid to the floor between the applicators and the squeegee, a container, and means for detachably mounting the container on the bracket, said container having a bottom opening re istrable with the upper end of the conduit when the latter is mounted on the bracket.

8. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted side by side at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with portions of their peripheries tangent, a bracket pivotally mounted on the support for angular movement at right angles to the plane of the axes of the applicators, a handle fixed to the bracket for movement therewith, a squeegee situated at the rear side of the applicators with its longitudinal axis parallel to the line of centers of the applicators, said squeegee having a length greater than the distance between centers of the applicators and less than the span of the applicators, and means for supplying liquid directly to the floor between the applicators and the squeegee.

9. Apparatus for operating on floors, comprising a support, a pair of applicators mounted side by side at the lower side of the support for rotation about vertical axes with portions of their peripheries tangent, a motor on the support for efiecting rotation of the applicators, a bracket pivotally mounted on the support for angular movement at right angles to the plane of the axes of the applicators, a handle fixed to the bracket for movement therewith, a squeegee situated at the rear side of the applicators, a container for liquid mounted on the bracket with its center of gravity situated substantially on the axis on which the bracket and handle pivot, and means for releasing liquid from the container directly to the floor be tween the applicators and the squeegee.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,860,168 Bedard May 24, 1932 1,877,951 Norris Sept. 20, 1932 1,969,674 Anderson Aug. 7, 1934 2,073,170 Pieper Mar. 9, 1937 2,318,960 Okun May 11, 1943 2,540,510 Clausen Feb. 6, 1951 2,747,209 Johnson May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 180,621 Great Britain 1923 

